Texas Senior Four-Ball: Ellenwood, Stark stay hot
21 Sep 2011
by Texas Golf Association
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MONTGOMERY, Texas (Sept. 21, 2011) -- Another picture perfect day welcomed the players during the second round of the 2011 Senior Four-Ball Championship which is being held at Walden on Lake Conroe. Scoring conditions were perfect as teams looked to set themselves in position to make a run at the title during tomorrow’s final round. Starting times for the Super Senior division are set to begin at 8:00AM with the Championship flight following at 9:00AM.
The team of Chuck Ellenwood and John Stark continued their spectacular play from the first round. After making a lone birdie on the front the team caught fire and birdied holes #12, #13, and #17 on their way to posting a four under par, 68. Their two-day total of eleven under par, 133, gives them a six shot lead over the second place team of Steve Cribari and Kent Samuel. Even with a bogey to start their round Cribari and Samuel quickly righted the ship on their way to a second round 69. A total of six teams find themselves under par in the Championship division heading into Thursday’s final round.
In the Super Senior division, round one leader’s Don Grider and Mike Schell struggled to maintain their magnificent play from round 1. After bookend bogeys on their opening nine the two men battled a seesaw back nine which included two birdies and two bogeys. Their second round 74 puts them in a tie with Michael Hopson and Richard Cozby at a two day total of even par 144. Hopson and Cozby were steady throughout today’s round as they carded a one under par, 71, which included two bogeys and three birdies. Two teams sit just a few strokes back of the leaders heading into tomorrow. Past champion, Howard Knowles, and his partner, Larry Walsh, find themselves one back after posting a low round of the day, 70. Two shots back is the team of Bob Engel and Robert Gray.
Format for the Championship and Super Senior Divisions is 54 holes of four-ball stroke play. Each will play from different tees/yardage with a separate champion being crowned in each division. Super Seniors must declare on application if they wish to compete in Championship Division.
In 2010 it was the powerhouse team of Jerry Hudgins and Jay Pumphrey who came from five strokes behind at the start of the day to win the State Senior Four-Ball at Cimarron Hills in Georgetown by firing a tournament low 7-under par 65 to take a two stroke victory over Wayne Smith and Ed Hindsman who finished the day at 2-under par 70 putting them at seven under for the championship. The Super Senior Division had a very exciting finish as Howard Knowles and Bert Rogers were able to fend off fellow competitors the Trophy Club pair of B.J. Shaw and Craig Carlisle by one stroke by firing an even par 72 on the day.